Joel Embiid is Back and the NBA is Immediately Better and More Entertaining
Joel Embiid returned to the lineup on Saturday night for the first time since injuring his knee on March 12th. The 76ers beat the Minnesota Timberwolves, 122-113. In a marquee matchup against Karl-Anthony Towns, Embiid had 24 points, 8 rebounds and three blocks. What the numbers don't show is just how good it is to have Embiid back on the court. Just look at all the awesome/weird/goofy stuff that happens with him out there.
Embiid being Embiid, he paid KAT back and trolled him after pic.twitter.com/eqD2ENlW9N
— CJ Fogler #BlackLivesMatter (@cjzero) April 4, 2021
Embiid shot 13 free throws in the first half. He is as hard to handle as he is fun to watch.
how did Embiid block that?!? pic.twitter.com/qgClxGqkmT
— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) April 4, 2021
Even if he does sometimes get frustrated, he will intentionally foul someone as safely as possible.
Embiid grabbed Towns on a drive, KAT smartly walked away pic.twitter.com/4Nl9b2Qym0
— CJ Fogler #BlackLivesMatter (@cjzero) April 4, 2021
A healthy Embiid is a beautiful thing. He had scored 40 in two of the three games before he was injured and had put up 50 a couple of weeks earlier. If he can stay healthy, he's the likely MVP of the league.
This is the version the league needs in the playoffs. This is a guy who makes the Nets' path through the East much more difficult. This is a real contender and the more of those the league has, the better.